I started dancing from the time I could walk and continued for decades. I was always the smallest one. When I was born I weighed in at a whopping 4 1/2 pounds and looked like I was standing in a hole next to my peers in every class picture. 

My mom always tells this story about when I was 3 or 4 and in a dance recital. She constantly taught me to be feisty and to be heard. So there she was, sitting in the crowd but didn’t see me on the stage until all of a sudden my little hands came pushing through the taller girls in front of me, like I was opening my own little curtain. Then there I was, front and center in all my glory. From that point on, anytime I was facing something challenging my mom would say, “Push your way to the front, Rachel!!”

I never thought that statement, that metaphor, that example, would still ring so true almost 40 years later. 

Professionally, I feel like I am always fighting so much noise to get noticed, gain exposure, build my community & get my writing in people’s faces.
As a mother, I am vigilant about my kids. I use the same exact mentality with them, teaching them to stand up for themselves, believe in themselves and never taking no as an answer and instead using it as starting point for negation (that one is completely backfiring and being used ON ME but we’re working on it).

My mom taught me not to take shit from anyone. There were times in my life when I took ALL THE SHIT. Sometimes I still get taken advantage of. But I can tell you this…I will never stop pushing my way to the front. Ever.

So, anytime you are facing something difficult, or your faith in yourself is wavering, don’t give up. Get what you came for. You are a badass and can do it, whatever it is.

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